{"id":229530,"date":"2025-05-07T21:57:14","date_gmt":"2025-05-07T21:57:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/recipes\/category-a-b\/baking-category-a-b\/lemon-poppy-seed-cake-butternut-bakery\/"},"modified":"2025-05-07T21:57:14","modified_gmt":"2025-05-07T21:57:14","slug":"lemon-poppy-seed-cake-butternut-bakery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=229530","title":{"rendered":"Lemon Poppy Seed Cake – Butternut Bakery"},"content":{"rendered":"


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This lemon poppy seed cake is the perfect dessert for any lemon lover! It\u2019s bursting with fresh lemon flavor with a zesty lemon poppy seed sheet cake smothered in lemon curd cream cheese frosting. It\u2019s bright, moist, and so fun to make!<\/p>\n

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How to make a lemon poppy seed cake<\/h2>\n

The key to any good lemon cake is to use FRESH lemons! And this lemon poppy seed cake is no exception.<\/p>\n

The cake itself is so flavorful using both lemon zest and lemon juice. The combination of the two adds so much zesty and bright flavor that just cannot be replicated with artificial flavorings. <\/p>\n

Outside of the lemon, this cake is built around my fresh strawberry cake recipe<\/a>. It is so fluffy, so moist, and so delicious that I knew it would be the perfect bake for this recipe as well. <\/p>\n

Using a combination of all purpose and cake flour, this cake has a light and tender consistency. Paired with the perfect amount of milk, sour cream, eggs, oil, and butter, this lemon cake is deliciously moist as well!<\/p>\n

Of course it wouldn\u2019t be a lemon poppy seed cake WITHOUT the poppy seeds! Just two tablespoons is enough to add that nutty poppy seed flavor without overpowering the cake. <\/p>\n

Once the batter is hand mixed, it\u2019s poured into a 9\u00d713 baking pan and baked into moist perfection.<\/p>\n

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Tips for baking lemon cake with poppy seeds<\/h2>\n

This cake is incredibly easy to make, but here are a few tips to ensure yours turns out just right:<\/p>\n

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  1. Flour<\/strong> \u2013 I say this in every post, and for good reason. It\u2019s the number one reason why most recipes fail. If there\u2019s too much flour, this cake will turn dry. If possible, measure the flour with a food scale<\/a>. Otherwise, to ensure the exact amount, gently spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it off with a flat edge. If scooped directly into the flour container, the flour becomes packed down into the cup which could leave you with 1\/4 cup or more of added flour.<\/li>\n
  2. Room Temperature Ingredients <\/strong>\u2013 The eggs, milk, and sour cream all make up a large portion of this batter. Because of this, it\u2019s important that they are at room temperature before mixing in. If the batter is too cold, the cake has the potential to bake uneven. In a pinch, place the eggs in a bowl of warm water for about 10 minutes before use. Then once the milk and sour cream are combined, microwave for about 30 seconds or until just barely warm. <\/li>\n
  3. Fresh Lemons <\/strong>\u2013 I highly recommend using fresh lemons for this recipe. The flavor is much stronger than bottled lemon juice.<\/li>\n
  4. Mixing<\/strong> \u2013 Mix as much as needed for the wet ingredients, but mix gently once the dry ingredients are added. If the batter is over worked, the cake can deflate in the center and turn out too dense and tough.<\/li>\n
  5. Baking<\/strong> \u2013 For the best results, use a light metal baking pan (my favorite is linked at the bottom of the recipe card). Metal conducts heat much better than glass. It\u2019s not a deal breaker, but the right baking pan lends a much more even and tender cake. <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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    Lemon curd cream cheese frosting<\/h2>\n

    Not only is the cake bursting with lemon flavor, but it\u2019s also topped with cream cheese frosting swirled with lemon curd! So if you absolutely love lemon, this is the cake for you.<\/p>\n

    First, the lemon curd. I\u2019ve included my very simple homemade recipe but store bought lemon curd will also do the trick here. The biggest tip here is to make sure the curd is chilled before use. Otherwise, it can cause the frosting to melt if it\u2019s too warm. <\/p>\n

    But arguably the best part about this lemon poppy seed cake (or any cake) is the cream cheese frosting.<\/p>\n

    It\u2019s also so easy to make and consists of just 4 ingredients:<\/p>\n